ABSTRACT
Adolescence is a time of turbulence and change characterised by those events, biological, psychological and social, that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is a period in life when individuals begin to adapt and adjust their behaviour and thinking to the new set of challenges and opportunities which they will face as adults. This transition becomes more difficult for young people if the significant adults in their lives fail to allow them the degree of independence of which they are capable, or conversely if adults remove the boundaries of control so quickly that young people are left uncertain and floundering. Parents and the professionals who work with young people are faced with achieving this balance in a society where the role of adolescents is rapidly changing.
